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cranberry pollination

Hi, I will have from 100-150 hives this year and was thinking about testing the waters with cranberry pollination with 50 of my hives. Ive never done a pollination contract before so I had a few questions. What are they paying for a hive in wisconsin? Whats the best way of getting a contract? (just call the growers i would assume) What kind of pesticides should i watch out for? Whats the standard hive strength for cranberries? Ive heard you can make some honey sometimes off cranberries?

I'm sure i will have more questions but thanks for any help in advance,

Re: cranberry pollination

I don't know anything about cranberry pollination in WI, Here in NY I pollinate about 80 acres of crans. I haven't noticed any problems w/ pesticides.

I get my cols into the crans soon after they come out of apple pollination and leave them there all Summer. I don't think they make anything in the way of honey from the crans. Not enuf for me to notice.

Actually, not that I spend a lot of time looking, I haven't seen bees working crans. But, the difference between them being there during pollination time and not was quite evident when one year I didn't have them there and the next year when I did and there was considerablly higher per acre berry production.

Re: cranberry pollination

Big Honey, there was an article in ABJ or Bee Culture within the last year about some Wisconsin Beeks who went to the Cranberries. One guys set up involved leaving the hives on a trailer with an electric fence attached to the top to keep the bears out. I have seen Cranberries mentioned a few times over the years and don't recall that anyone made honey off them.

Re: cranberry pollination

You won't make any honey off the cranberries ,unless the bog is in area that has other sources around it. You will have to move them right at the end of the bloom because they spray ASAP for some kind of worm. The going rate is $65 to $70 per hive. They bloom different times depending where you are in Wi.

Re: cranberry pollination

Perhaps someone could speak up and explain the attraction of Cranberry pollination. I have talked to a few beeks that have done it and they always seem to tell the same story. The rates arent that good, it coincides with the main honey flow, they have to go in and come out in the middle of the summer when bee moving conditions arent great and worst of all the bees just do really poorly on cranberry pollen. A $60 per hive contract equates to about a medium of honey. Am I missing something?

"People will generally accept facts as truth only if the facts agree with what they already believe."- Andy Rooney

Re: cranberry pollination

I think some beeks just look at cranberries as a means to early summer cash flow. Tom says it well, short term gain (how much gain is debatable) long term loss.
I suppose if you were just trying to get them out of a southern dearth and didn't want to fool with honey extraction an argument could be made.
If the bees are strong enough to make a crop they will do better during that time not going into cranberries. It is tough to keep them from going backwards in cranberries so it can effect the rest of the season's harvest too. Every time we look at the numbers we shake our heads and leave them in honey production.
Sheri

Re: cranberry pollination

i too have heard the hives take a real hit after crans. and i understand moving bees in the middle of summer at night sucks. what i am curious about is why the bees are not able to make honey off of other things near the cran. bogs. i have never seen one of these bogs, but i understand wisc. beeks do make honey crops so why dont the bees just work other things around the crans after they are done. are these bogs in really secluded areas. just wondering why the bees dont move on to other floral sources once the cran pollination is done. i was just thinking if you were a wis. beek and you could set your bees once in the spring near a cran bog, get a pollination contract and still make a honey crop that would be nice. i understand it just doesnt work that way but if it did it would be sweet for you wisconny folks.

Re: cranberry pollination

...I'd suggest reading Dave Mendes' testimony to Congress from a few.years.ago. fungicides are sprayed on the open blooms (as.per label instructions) which of course also contaminates.the water as.well as.the nectar and pollen. Dave testified that his bees were tested, and 7000ppm of fungicides were.found.
Deknow

Re: cranberry pollination

It all really depends on where the bog is, Ive had bees come out very heavy with nice brood patterns. Ive also had them come out very light and almost dead. Since you only have 100 hives and you want to send 50 or more into pollination that 50% or more of your operation. You have to consider that most of them are not going to be strong enough to make it thru the winter, is it really worth it ?

Re: cranberry pollination

SQKCRK, around Warrens, Wis, they are called bogs.

Many years ago, as a favor, I would drop a few hives in a bog just east of Warrens. They never did too well. Nothing else in the area except black raspberries/blackberries. Surrounded by more bogs, and scrub pine/oak woods. No Linden, clover, alfalfa or Locust. That is why i felt they typically slide backwards.

Re: cranberry pollination

Very man made. Think of two or three or more football fields joined head to toe. The width is determined by twice the reach of a boom truck used to ?(forgot) reaching over the bed from either side. Around all edges of the "field" is a slight , maybe a foot or so, ditch. The land then goes up maybe 5-6 feet? to form a dike. There is water control systems so that the bog can be flooded when needed(harvest and winter?).

Re: cranberry pollination

Re: cranberry pollination

Thanks everybody for the advice! I think im going to stay out of cranberries for now. Like was mentioned earlier i wouldn't want to risk loosing those hives and if i could make more on honey and it be better for the bees then why not just do that.

One more question though. Do your hives usually fall apart after apples as well. Since they bloom early do your hives come out of apples and make a summer and fall crop of honey or does spraying take to big of a toll on the hives!